Unbreak the Broken

I'm Only Human (I Do What I Can)

Sorry this chapter is late, It's been so crazy with work and exams.

The section in italics is a flashback

Caroline didn't sleep that night. She stayed up and carved another stake. Her shaky hands were nicked by the sharp carving knife. Her bedroom door remained locked, and she didn't come out to see her mom when she got home from work. Her work was shoddier than it had been earlier in the evening. Caroline kept glancing out the window, waiting for some sign that Damon was still after her.

Nothing.

A sloppily carved stake lay in her hands. Damon hadn't followed her. He would cause problems, but Caroline could find ways around him. She stashed the stake under her pillow and pulled out one of the notebooks she had bought the other day. Katherine was an ever-looming threat- and she would arrive soon- but Caroline was more worried about the particularly destructive foes on the horizon. Klaus counted as a threat, of course, but Kai, Silas, and the heretics needed to be dealt with too. Still, it was best to work chronologically. She needed to get her hands on the moonstone and get in contact with Elijah. Katherine's return to Mystic Falls is what leads the Mikaelson family to town, so she felt justified preparing for both at the same time. She needed to try and ensure Elena and Jenna's survival.

In the back of her mind, Caroline knew that her plans would go much simpler if she was a vampire. She didn't want to deal with the problems her parents caused because of her vampirism, and she had no idea what would change if she transitioned earlier. She resolved to stay human for the time being. In fact, Katherine might be the perfect partner in crime for all of the things she couldn't do herself.

Caroline wrote as she thought. She could barter the moonstone in exchange for Katherine's help in preparing for the Originals. She also needed supernatural contacts, and Katherine knew everyone.

There were a million and two ways to find Katerina Petrova, if you knew where to look. She could wait, of course, or she could use a middle man. Lucy Bennet or Mason Lockwood would likely know where to find her, but both options were risky.

Could Caroline trust Katherine though? No. She was far too shifty and self-serving. Perhaps Elijah would be a better co-conspirator... He was powerful, well-connected, trustworthy, but much harder to anticipate or get in touch with.

The plan formed rather quickly. She'd wait for Katherine to come to town and offer an alliance. Caroline would stick with her long enough to bring Elijah to town and make a new deal with him. Elijah would be her stepping stone to finding Kol.

There was so much she needed to tell him.

***

"When you see me again-" Kol started.

"You mean if." Caroline corrected. "I could die, you know."

"When you find me, after the spell works, I need you to catch me up to speed." Kol looked at her seriously. "You need to tell me that you've gone back in time."

"We both know how ridiculous that would sound," she said.

Kol shook his head and in a low voice told her what to say to his past-self. Caroline would need help saving the supernatural community, and Kol wouldn't be of any use if he was behaving like a childish, reckless, ripper. She looked hesitant but promised to tell him everything. He didn't want to leave her alone to save their lives.

***

Caroline smiled softly. She needed to get into the Lockwood mansion and knew just the time to do it. Footsteps sounded up the hallway and jolted Caroline out of her writing. She shoved the notebook under her comforter and slid her hand under her pillow. She wrapped her fingers around the stake as the footsteps drew nearer.